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Thursday, October 23, 2014

What great memories I have of New Zealand. And this was one of my favorite hikes while we were there. The owners of the inn we stayed at recommended this hike, Wharariki Beach to Cape Farewell, to us and I shall be ever grateful for that recommendation. ,

When we first arrived we couldn't believe we were going to end up on the beach. The hike started out through the green grassy hills. Honestly, I felt like we were in Scotland. We saw no other hikers-only the sheep. And for a little bit there we thought we were going to get blown away-the winds were so strong, it was hard to keep your balance on the pathway.

But oh the rewards ! One of the most beautiful deserted beaches we have ever seen. The sand was swept all over from the winds still going strong and the waves were crashing on the shore. Just breathtaking.

Our dream is to return to New Zealand some day, rent a camper van for 2 to 3 months and drive all over both islands. Until then, I look back with fond memories.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Fernweh-wanderlust, a desire to travel, a longing for far off places....

I have a bad case of Ferweh ! I'm part of a Roadtrek Facebook group and everyone has been posting photos,maps and stories about their travels and I'm missing Ruby and being on the road.

I know some people would kill to be where we are right now-on the beach in our condo. Don't get me wrong,it's beautiful and I love it-but I truly have wanderlust in my soul-filled to the brim and feel such a strong pull towards the open road. I'm afraid Jim is going to have to chain me to the deck to keep me from running off .

I'm trying desperately to live in the present moment-remember my mantra-this is the best moment of my life-and I don't want to miss it while I'm longing for other places. Those of you who love life on the road know exactly what I mean.

I've been keeping busy-occupying myself with laying a new bathroom tile floor; organizing closets; cleaning out Ruby; trying to get back to my walking routine and experimenting with meals we could cook on the road. And I'll be working from home from Amazon by the end of the month. If you remember that was my last job before I retired. I contacted them to see if I could just do seasonal work from home and I could and will. I'll be taking calls for customer service from the end of October through mid to end of January. That will give me some extra spending money for a lens I would love to add to my equipment in anticipation of our trip to the Canadian Maritimes in 2015. There I go again thinking about 2015 !

I do admit I have been spending some of my free time daydreaming and planning the trip. We are hooking up with our Roadtrek friends for Mardi Gras in Gautier,MS in February and will head north from there. We plan on visiting friends and family in Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Michigan. Once we leave Michigan we will head to Canada and even find the time to stop in at Ruby's birthplace-the Roadtrek Factory in Kitchener,Ontario. Then onto Toronto and Montreal. We hope to be in New Brunswick in May; Prince Edward Island in June; Nova Scotia in July; and Newfoundland and Labrador in August. We don't want to just see the tourist highlights but want to get to meet the people and spend time with them-we never know if we will get that way again!

We will leave Newfoundland in September and wander back through the Maritimes on our way to New England. We plan on spending October in New England then heading south towards home -might make it home in late October,early November or even early December-who knows what the road will bring !

OK, back to the present moment-working on paying bills-what fun. To all my fellow travelers-I'm with you in spirit as you walk through the woods and feel that crisp Fall air; or as you wander along the seashore enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face; even when you experience that little shiver from the cold as you sit around your campfire at night.

“What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”